Arm or hand rest



(No Model.) 2 Sheet's'She'et .1.

W. M. KINNARD.

ARM ORHAND REST. t No. 384,261. Patented June 12, 1888.

QVVVQQM' W N4 PETERS Flwto-Lhhognpher, Walhinglon, D. C.

'(No Model.) 2 Sheets'Sheet 2.

W. M. KINNARD. V ARM 0R HAND REST.

No. 384,261; Patented Jun 12, 1888.

N. PETERS, Mtflhomphar. Walhlngicn. D- C.

UNITED STATES WILL M. KINNARD,

PATENT OFFICE.

or DAYTON, OHIO.

AR M OR HAND REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,261, dated June 12, 1888.

Application filed March 5, 1888. Serial No. 266,171. (No model) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, WILL M. KINNARD, citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arm or Hand Rests for I Books, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in arm or hand rests, to enable bookkeepers or recorders making entries in thick books to adjust the rest so that they can write upon all parts of the page with equal ease and exactness.

In writing in large thick books, if using pages near the beginning of the book, one halfof the book will naturally be very thin, while the other half will be quite thick, thus making a difference often of several inches between the level of the surface of the two pages or halves of the book spread before the writer, making it difiticult, and sometimes impossible, to do uniform work on both pages. When the writing to be done occurs near the bottom of a page and the book is several inches thick, it is necessary to provide some rest or support for the arm or hand at or near the level of the page. This rest is supplied by the book itself so long as the work is far enough from the bottom of the page to leave sufficient space for the hand to rest on; but when the entries are to be made near the bottom some other support must.

be supplied to enable the writer to do good work on the lower lines.

My invention consists in providing supports or rests for the arm or hand below the bottom of the book, so arranged as to be adjustable to any height necessary to bring them level with the page and capable of being pushed into the .side or lid of the book, or folded over out of the way when not in use.

The nature of my invention will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of'an open book with my improved rest in position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the side or lid 0 f a book with the arm or hand rest drawn out in position for use. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the lid of a book,showing the rest pushed in out of the way. Fig. 4. is a same; but if it is a thick hook the surface of the page will be so much above the surface of the desk upon which it rests that the lower lines or lower portion of the page cannot be written upon conveniently without some rest for the hand or arm.

In Fig. 2 the lid or covering B of the book is made sufficiently heavy or thick to provide room or space for an internal chamber to receive the rest; or, if preferred, either side of the lid may be cut away, so that the rest lies in the grooves thus cut out-that is, it is sunk in the lid flush with its surface-or it may even be folded in between the lid and the leaves, though it makes a better job when sunk in the lid or inserted in a chamber. The rest remains I inclosed in the lid of the book or between the lid and the leaves out of the way when not in may be connected with the book by hinges, as-

shown in Fig. 5; or it may be arranged to be simply laid between the lid and the leaves, or attached in any convenient manner.

The rest consists of two plates, preferably of thin metal. The lower plate,O,is madelonger than the upper plate, D, and may be a little wider. The plate D rests upon or above the the plate 0, and both slide in the chamber or groove in the side of the book B,which is open at the bottom, as seen at b. The lower plate, 0, is preferably provided with a shoulder to prevent its being drawn out too far by coming against the inside wall of the chamber or groove within the solid side B, as shown in dotted lines at b, Fig. 2. The plate D is shallower than the plate 0, and both are drawn out until the plate D is entirely out or free. Between the two plates are rods F F, lying parallel, one end of each pivoted to the upper plate and the other end to the lower plate, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the two plates are hinged together. A bar, G, has its upper end pivoted to the under side of the plate D, and its lower end left free to engage with a ratchet, H, on the upper side of the plate 0, and acts as a pawl. As the plate D is lifted or swung upward on the rods F F, the lower end of the pawl or bar G will engage with the ratchet H 5 and support the upper plate at any desired height. This plate D can be raised and adjusted to the level of the page of the book and there forms a rest, so that the lower lines of the page can be written upon with the same case as the upper ones. For convenience of adjusting the plate D at any desired height, I provide a small opening, I, in the plate D, Fig. 2, through which the upper end or corner of the pawl G extends when in a vertical or partially vertical position, and by pressing swith the thumb on this upperend of the pawl G its lower end is lifted sufficiently to free it from the ratchet H, so that the plate D can be lowered. Other means may be employed for raising or adjusting the plate D; but those shown I have found the most simple and convenient. K is a rod, pivoted at 7: to the lower plate, 0. The outer end is turned up and extends through a small opening in the edge of the upper plate, as seen at 7:. The rear end of this rod is bent downward, so as to drop into the slots L L, thereby locking the plates in position and preventing them from sliding in or out. The spring 1? causes the point of the rod K to engage with the slots L. The lock is released by pressing lightly on the end of the rod K at K.

. I provide one of these rests in each side or lid of the book, so that. if either page to be written upon is so much above the level of the desk as to make it inconvenient to write on the lower lines, the rest is drawn out of the lid of the book and adjusted to the proper level and locked, and when not needed it is quickly pushed back out of the way. By inclosing the rest in the lid of the book itis concealed and does not mar the appearance of the book, is entirely out of the way, and yet always immediately at hand for use.

The rest may, if desired, be inelosed in a frame or shell, R It, Fig. 3, and made complete, to be inserted in the lid of any book or in a-groove cut out for the purpose. As above stated, however, the rest may be attached to the book in various ways-for instance, as shown in Fig. 5, where the lower plate, 0, is shown hinged to the lower side or tail of the lid B. The rest can then be folded over against the plate S, sunk in the lid of the book. If

the lid is not sufficiently heavy to have the rest sunk in it so as to be flush with its surface, the rest may be made thin enough to lie between the lid and the leaves of the book without serious difficulty.

I am aware that hand-rests have been provided for use with heavy books, and do not broadly claim such a rest; nor do I limit myself to any partieular manner of attaching the rest to the book; but,

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An arm or hand rest attached to the lid of a book, arranged to be adjusted to any convenient height to correspond with the level of the page to be written upon, substantially as and in the manner described.

2. A hand or arm rest attached to the lid of a book, constructed substantially as described, to be adjusted to various levels, arranged to be folded or moved into the back out of the way when not in use, substantially as set forth.

3. A hand or arm rest for books ineased in the lid of thebook and capableof beingdrawn out and elevated to any desired height to correspond with the face of the page, substantially as described.

4. A hand-rest for books, consisting of two plates adapted to fold together and fold or slide into an opening in the side of the book when not in use, substantially as and for the purpose described.v

5. A book provided with a hand rest concealed within the side of the book, arranged to be drawn out and adjusted to any desired height, substantially as described.

6. A hand-rest for books, consisting of two plates, 0 D, hinged together by the rods F F, and provided with the pawl G and ratchet II, substantially as described.

7. A rest for books, consisting of two plates hinged together as described, and sliding or folding into the side of a book, in combination with a lock or latch for fastening it in or out, substantially as described.

8. Ahand or arm rest for record-books, consisting of two plates ineased within the lid of the book and adapted to be drawn out sufficiently to permit the elevation of the upper plate, in combination with the internal shoulder or stop, I), substantially as described.

9. A hand-rest for books, consisting of two plates hinged together, the upper one adapted to be raised and adjusted to any convenient height, as described, the whole inclosed within an independent frame or casing to be inserted in the lid of a book, substantially as and for the purpose described.

\VILL M. KINNARD. 

